The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-19
BY THE NUN OF KENMARE.
THE IRISH QUESTION CoNsLDERED IN
ITS RELIGIOUS ASPECT.


IT'S RELIGIOUS ASPECL
Tho Treatment or Irish Catholics sy Eng.
Iish Cathoiies-Tbe Balls or Adrian and
Alexander Against the Iriah.
u II is well known In general way that the
Irish people have suffered for tboir adherence
TO tho particular creed which they believe to
be the truo one. But that they had suffered In
many other ways than by fire and sword IA not
20 we'll known. thorough understanding Of
the social condition Of ireland would go far TO
remove many serious Misrepresentation. and q
thorough understanding OF the religious aspect
OF tho Irish question would also DO OF Interest
70 the student OF human nature and should
not BIO omitted from the consideration OF the
statesman.
For tho present we shall only consider the
religious aspect OF the Irish question from the
reign OF Henry ii. to tho timo OF Catholic
emancipation. No doubt some Of our readers
will express surprise that there could have
been u religious question to consider ut p timo
when ell European peoples. and when English
and Irish wore OF tho ono faith. And yet we
have historical evidence that Is OF interest on
this subject
To my thinking religious strife Is ono OF tho
very strangest and saddcst OF llto's many
strange and cad mysteries. According to tho
teaching Of oil Christianity man Ii responsible
Being. For any man who cannot show u pat
ent of personal infallibility. direct from that
very Supreme Being. to compel any other man
by force or fraud to change or appear to
change his belief. would DO absurd II 1t was
not unjust II God alone Is tho supreme and
final Judge. man who coerces his fellow man
to any form OF belief puts himself in tho place
OF God. and acts both as the judge. and, II he
inficts penalty. as the executioner.
We shall show briefly how this act OF in;us-
tice was accomplished in the reign OF Henry
Will. when that King. having changed his re-
Ngion-from what motives matters little to our
point-tried to compel the Irish people to
change theirs also.
In the preceding article I havo remarked
that some Of the worst landlords In Ireland arc
Catholics. Lord Granard's and Lord Kennere's
treatment Of their tenantry has boon TIE sub
ject of cable messages to this country within
the last few weeks. But these men, from their
position. live in the fierce light OF pub
lie opinion. Their estates being large
aud their tenants. therefore. moro hu-
ncroue, their actions have como moro
OF public criticism. But thpre arc thousands
9i Irish landlords whose actions are not
less evil, but because they are units in multi
tnde II Is tho lG 1,sr 81 these =, men (which which
FSS Myself ss can ni SPEAK roa PERSONAL HnoS
edge and from a. sad experience. Ihave been
%ansed az a knoeE in III TIC county Mayo for the
from ocsilandiord opposition. and misht say
Catholics Who Should have boon the most car
nest supporters Of this peaceful work were IN
Sondemned unjustly b., the very people whom
xf al S sad lnst wssa Ky s ssiis lilo
the better understanding Of the whole Irish
sss ol Honr TeEe IN en hp ho sss S
grace iii to the present day some English
Catholics and many hAnslo,irsa C",hqsy
English Protestant or "Orangemana eQ4!d be.
anfs n 81 aen has very meR
the same charaeteristies as human nature IN
religious pfeteIt for pIunder and Injustice.
they had at least a salye for their consciences.
costly churches, has had his PROTOTYPE IL al
dns S IS ossn 9eadS to viii AWAY
the worldly possessions he can no longer hold
IL 'sss asr s sf s clearer se1s: :s
ThISSEs Sa,wsIa .he. aud fashion,
Every vassal Of his banner
BY 1 rs hand r we're freed ssaia '''A'a
Ffoude. fheir his SoSs VAN and sd@iror. we're
given more to hunting than to holiness !" had
bull which could be presented as, a proof Of
their sincere dssiEe TO reform the, the savage g
scsoi sms h SoM many a9mes on have
been committed In your IA namsI p. how much
Sshf be hSW
ss@s!: ,&hssSss r. rs. xsSsi SS :; asI g, =.
tered little practically. Tho act and the docu-
mont have been strongly questioned Of late
}he Tine. That the Holy Father had risht to
issue such bull has boon boldly asserted. be-
the w 81 en4y
perfect right to vet such document. II he
pment whether genuine or forged, is simply an
SSs AZ; # ssssd writer bs .ss S see sssasa
Dc BaGry n Welsh better
irish was bad. everything English was good:
but to all ues there an His
his masters eGs. and they were all very bad
man neb is His s mother was s distinguished
she daughter a
.sIs Eh sa fao his Ss sk III 3
soc neither virtue nor intsiiigeneo IN peoplo
give the pedigree Of. this historian, because no
was the person employed by Henry II to DO
to oStatn bull from Adrian ~ to annex them them
70 England-for their own benefit. Of course,
History, repeats itself, and especially Irish
OF ireland, which was undertak on TOR the good
Of the savage IRISH" Each set OF conquerors
their. acts OF rapine and murder by blacIening
the character OF their Victims But there was
still deeper depth. writer In the Month.
the leading Catholic magazine Of the English
speaking world, and one that voices, II 1t docs
not form, tho English Catholic opinion OF the
cultured classes, has tho following remarkable
statement. It Is contained In review OF
work OH the Reformation by Father Staug. s. j.:
The change from faith faseho0d gradual ono.
KnglaEd was honey coT0ed with wclni,m and Lollard
surface lurked u condition % thinss which paved the
way for men like Henry VIII. and Knox and Luther.
Pride MAS dominant In nobies and clergy. else they
would never have consented 10 throw on the yoke.
Their faith consequently weak and not all lire
nroachahle lslcl lhsir moralA